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BIG MINERAL SPECIMENSReturn to Mineral Specimen Galleries
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AD-237 Heulandite & Mordenite $275 Rat's Nest Claim, Challis, Bay Horse Mining District, Custer County, ID 17.8 x 15.2 x 10.3 A very large vug (or geode if you prefer) of salmon-pink-colored crystals of Heulandite on a bed of snow-white Mordenite. The well-formed, pinkish Heulandite crystals on the underlying white-hued Mordenite makes for a pleasing contrast of colors. This is one of the largest and one of only a small handful of complete vugs that were recovered during mining in the early 2000's. This specimen was obtained directly from miner in 2006. This deposit has long been depleted of collector quality specimens for some time now.
C-307 Charoite (Type Locality) with Steacyite & Aegerine $250 Murunskii Massif, Chara & Tokko Rivers, Aldan Shield, Russia 19 x 12.6 x 6.1 cm A very large example of lilac-purple-colored Charoite from the type locality for this species. Charoite, is a rare & very complex silicate mineral & is well-known as exceptional lapidary material due to its beautiful violet to deep lilac color. The Charoite serves as a host for numerous radial sprays of lustrous, green-black Aegerine & yellow-brown-colored crystals of the rare Th-silicate mineral, Steacyite. The Steacyite also has a killer green-colored fluorescence. Charoite is named for the type locality, near the Chara & Tokko Rivers.
S-110 Kunzite and Cleavelandite on Quartz $2,250 Mawi Pegmatite, Du Ab District, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan 22 x 11.5 x 11.5 cm. Up until 20-25 years ago, Kunzite specimens on Matrix were virtually unheard of. Not until the last 15 or so years have there been that many really good matrix Kunzite specimens on the market; before that the matrix Kunzites from Afghanistan were usually pretty mundane looking. Here we have one of the better looking matrix Kunzites that can occasionally be had. This combo specimen has an 11 cm. Kunzite piercing a 22 cm. Quartz crystal and is enveloped by a jacket of light-blue, curved, Cleavelandite crystals up to 3 cm. in size. The rich reddish-purple colored Kunzite crystal is gem-clear with a pristine termination that grows fainter in color towards the top, yet when viewed down the c-axis a strong purple hue is visible. The color of the Kunzite, combined with the light-blue color of the Cleavelandite makes for a nice contrast of colors. This combined with a base of Quartz makes for an especially aesthetic specimen. The Quartz crystal that serves as the matrix for this Kunzite-Cleavelandite combo is contacted on the bottom and portions of the side, which leads me to believe that this specimen came from a corner of the pocket. Both the Quartz and the Kunzite possess a brilliant lustre. One more interesting feature of this specimen is that the Kunzite has a strong orange fluorescence under LWUV light and a strong hot-pink fluorescence under SWUV light. Also observed was that small areas of the Quartz and Cleavelandite showed weak orange fluorescence under LWUV as well.
T-336 Elbaite Tourmaline on Microcline $150 Virgem da Lapa, Minas Gerais, Brazil 13.3 x 11.9 x 12.5 cm A stout porcelain-like Microcline crystal studded with gemmy crystals of green & blue-green Elbaite, most of which are terminated. Better known for the great Topaz crystals that have been found there, the Tourmaline from this famous location hold their own when compared to other Brazilian localities.
T-366 Elbaite
and Topaz with Cleavelandite $650 Little Three Mine, Ramona District, San Diego County, CA 12.4 x 7.6 x 6.9 cm Here we have a complexly-terminated Tourmaline intergrown with colorless Topaz crystals on its termination. This specimen has a hue that ranges from medium to dark green. There is a small area of contact on the termination of this stout Tourmaline. This museum-sized specimen is apparently from the earliest period of mining at the Little Three, circa 1910, according to Bill Larson: "it predates Louis Spaulding and the modern era as I got it from an old collector in Encinitas back in the 1960's, exchanged with cut Tourmalines I mined. It was presumed to be from the 1910 period there.
F-184 Fluorite with Calcite, Quartz and Pyrite $350 El Hamman Mine, Meknès Prefecture, Morocco 15.5 x 14.5 x 4.1 cm. This specimen features many medium to dark-green crystals of Fluorite. This specimen has several interesting features; the first being numerous water-clear Quartz crystals up to 3 mm. in size that cover the entire specimen. The top of the specimen is blanketed with Calcite and there are dozens of brass-colored, ball-like Pyrites covering the specimen. This Fluorite specimen is complete, with no damage. The back of the specimen is flat , but shows many growth hillocks as well as many white, needle-like inclusions. A good example of a combo specimen for this location.
AD-213 Goethite geode $125 Dumbalk, South Gippsland Shire, Victoria, Australia 16.5 x 12.4 x 6.4 cm A large, Goethite geode with highly lustrous interior. Some areas of of the interior exhibit a faint iridescence. I see these for sale every now and then, usually 6-7 cm in size, but this is the first one of this size that I have encountered.
C-277 Calcite $1,200 Hilton Deposit, Borrego Springs, San Diego County, CA 29 x 17.3 x 11.5 cm A dramatic and huge plate of large Calcite crystals of from south-eastern San Diego County. This impressive specimen features translucent-transparent, bladed crystals of Calcite measuring up to 10 centimeters in size. The Calcite crystals fluoresce a light-hued red\pink color. Known by locals as "The Calcite Mine" this location was operated from 1942 to 1944 for the Polaroid Corporation to produce optical grade Calcite in order to make the Polaroid Optical Ring Gun-sight. This specimen was a part of my award winning mineral collection. This location has been off-limits to collectors since 1974 when the area surrounding it was designated Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
A-114 Aragonite $75 Bristol Mine, Bristol and Jackrabbit Districts, Lincoln County, NV 12.3 x 11.9 x 7.9 cm This very three-dimensional formation of Aragonite is from a defunct silver mine. These specimens are formed by ground water deposition inside the underground mine.
F-313 Fluorite
with Alstonite & Sphalerite $750 Bethel Level, Minerva #1 Mine, Ozark-Mahoning Group, Cave-in-Rock, Hardin County, IL 32.7 x 19.1 x 10.8 cm A large plate of blue-colored Fluorite that has been overgrown with crystals of yellow-colored Fluorite and dark crystals of Sphalerite (up to 3.2 cm in size). The Fluorite crystals were then partially dissolved then coated with many small crystals of the rare Ba-Ca carbonate mineral, Alstonite. The reverse side of this specimen is also richly covered in Alstonite. This specimen can be displayed in several different orientations and look equally good. This specimen has no damage; although some areas have been contacted. This important specimen was mined in the late 1960's.
C-316 Elbaite on Cookeite & Quartz cast after Tourmaline $135 Araçuaí, Minas Gerais, Brazil 12.9 x 7.6 x 5.2 cm A vug of Cookeite that once encased a large Tourmaline crystal that dissolved away leaving a bed of greenish-blue Elbaite on the lower front portion of the specimen. The termination of this specimen features a 2 cm Tourmaline crystal that has been replaced by Lepidolite. Also present on the Cookeite “shell” are several groups of Quartz crystals. Q-536 Quartz
pseudomorph after Feldspar $225 Erongo Mountain, Karibib, Erongo Region, Namibia 11.8 x 6.7 x 10.2 cm A very large and interesting pseudomorph. This three-dimensional specimen is a complete and total replacement of nine Orthoclase crystals by tiny Quartz crystals which have a green cast. Also present on this specimen are fragments of Schorl. Being someone who has an appreciation for any mineral specimen that is out of the ordinary, I fell in love with these when I first saw them. A majority of the combinations of mineral species that can be found in Erongo are quite abundant, it seems to me that Pseudomorphs are under represented at this famous location. These never were very abundant and probably won't be in the future. This specimen was part of my collection until recently when I decided that I didn't need as many of these as I had accumulated.
B-256 Aquamarine,
Microcline, Smoky Quartz, Fluorite & Opal-AN (Hyalite)
$850 Erongo Mountains, Karibib Constituency, Erongo Region, Namibia 15.6 x 13.4 x 9.4 cm This large specimen consists of many twinned Microcline crystals measuring to 7 cm that serve as a host for numerous crystals of Aquamarine and Fluorite. The Aquamarine crystals range in color from sky blue to a light, inky-blue hue. The Fluorite crystals that seem to be everywhere on this specimen are found as cubes, some of which are modified on their edges and range in color from mint to medium green. There is one yellowish Fluorite crystal on this specimen that was suggested to me as possibly being Yttrofluorite but I have not had it tested. Also present on this specimen are partially clear crystals of Smoky Quartz measuring up to 3cm. The white mineral on the top portion of this specimen is Opal-AN, also called Hyalite and is fluorescent. All of crystals on this specimen are complete and undamaged. An aesthetic and very 3-d
Q-567 Amethyst
on Chalcedony $2,500 Amethyst Mountain, Yellowstone National Park, Park County, WY 18 x 14 x 8.4 cm A large cabinet-sized plate of Amethyst on Chalcedony from Amethyst Mountain, Eastern Fork of the Yellowstone River, NW Wyoming. The crystals on this specimen have a light, lavender-purple hue. The smaller crystals have unusual stepped faces on their terminations. Nearly all of the crystals on this specimen are intact. This specimen pre-dates Yellowstone Park and is most likely circa 1860's to early 1870's. It was collected before collecting in Yellowstone was prohibited and had resided in the Philadelphia Academy Collection for over a century until 2007 when the collection was dispersed. I think any mineral specimen from America's most famous park is to be treasured and can be considered an American Heirloom.
AD-165 Agate & Quartz Thunderegg $120 St. Egidien, Glauchau, Zwickau, Saxony, Germany 16.6 x 14.2 x 7.3 cm A large specimen from Germany's premier thunderegg locality. The dense banded outer layers of deep-blue grades to a sky-blue core. This colorful thunderegg also features several small pockets of Quartz.
AD-239 Agate $75 Nowy Kosciól, Kaczawskie Mountains, Lower Silesia, Poland 13.6 x 9.4 x 4.9 cm Here we have a multicolored Agate from Poland's Kaczawskie Mountains. This Agate portion shows fine banding of orange and red hues. Nowy Kosciól is a classic Polish locality. Thunder Eggs such as these are highly prized by Polish Agate collectors and are rarely available outside of Europe.
W-025 Wulfenite $175 Mezica Mines, Mezica, Carinthia Region, Slovenia 14.6 x 12.5 x 6.7 cm A large matrix specimen from one of Europe's more noteworthy Wulfenite locations. This specimen features greenish-brown crystals of Wulfenite sandwiched between secondary overgrowths of orange-yellow Wulfenite. Also present are smaller dipyramidal crystals as singles and small groups. The Crystals on this specimen measure up to 1.6 centimeters in size.
R-047 Rhodochrosite & Quartz $200 Remedios Mine, Taxco de Alarcón, Guerrero, Mexico 31.4 x 15.2 x 9.8 cm A large plate of Quartz crystals intergrown with pink-colored Rhodochrosite.
R-043 Rosasite on Dolomite $75 Bou Beker, Touissit-Bou Beker District, Jerada Province, Morocco 12.3 x 11.7 x 7.4 cm This specimen features many spheres of the Copper carbonate mineral Rosasite on a matrix of pink-colored Dolomite crystals. Some of the Rosasite spheres and some of the Dolomite crystals have a thin coating of clear Gypsum. There are also several amorphous masses of green-colored Malachite present on this specimen.
Q-138 Smoky Quartz with Adularia $500 St. Gotthard Massif, Leventina, Ticino, Switzerland 16.5 x 9.5 x 10.5 cm. A very clear cluster of medium-to-dark brown Smoky Quartz crystals accented by numerous crystals of the variety of Feldspar, Adularia. The largest Quartz crystal on this specimen measures 7 x 4 cm. and features a very interesting pair of V-shaped crystal faces near its termination, resulting in the jagged-looking outline in the photo above. Two of the smaller Quartz crystals have rough-looking terminations, which are due to being re-healed while in situ. Fine, undamaged Swiss Quartz specimens are hard to come by as the local collectors tend to keep the best for themselves, which is understandable, considering the extreme conditions and altitudes under which these magnificent mineral specimens are collected.
AD-113 Agate and Quartz geode $75 Lierbachtal, Oppenau, Schwarzwald, Germany 13 x 12 x 3 cm. Here we have a very large nodule of Agate from Germany's Black Forest. The center of this slate-colored Agate is filled with Quartz crystals. The section of this Agate that has the Quartz crystals is outlined by a red-colored mineral, most likely Hematite. In my 23 years of collecting I have seen less than a dozen examples of this material. There are many Agate localities all over Germany, but few Agates ever make it to the United States.
AD-184 Agate & Quartz Thunderegg $100 Lierbach Valley, Oppenau, Black Forest, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 19.5 x 14 x 6.4 cm Here we have a very large example of Agate from Germany's Black Forest. The center of this slate-green-colored Agate is filled with Quartz crystals. The two chambers of this Agate have sparkling Quartz crystals and a red-colored mineral, most likely Hematite. There are many Agate localities all over Germany, but few of these Agates ever make it to the United States.
F-305 Amazonite with Schorl SOLD Zapot Pegmatite, Gillis Range, Fitting Mining District, Mineral County, NV 13.1 x 10.2 x 8.2 cm A very large example of Amazonite with a dusting of Schorl crystals. This locality was best known for its attractive Topaz crystals, which are some of the best from the United States, but this classic granitic pegmatite has also produced some attractive turquoise-blue Amazonite specimens. This crystal is complete with some contacting near the base. Specimens from this location are very hard to come by these days, as the mine is now defunct.
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